^Yeah, the most rewarding experience of being a Bangladesh fan is seeing the team gradually progress from nothing to something. I don't know if I ever shared my story of how an American born kid fell in love with cricket. Truth is, I knew nothing about cricket - just like a good American, lol - and my life centered around basketball and football (the American kind). But I ended up spending the summer of 1997 in Bangladesh when I was 14, and it was just 1 month after we upset Kenya to win the ICC Trophy. I had been to Bangladesh a few times before but didn't even know cricket existed...thats how nonexistant it was. Soccer was king. But everything changed overnight in 1997.

All my cousins introduced me to cricket and thats where I picked up the basics. I had little interest at first...it was the most bizarre thing I had seen, lol. But my very first memory was the 1997 Independence Cup triangular with India, pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Saeed Anwar hit a then world record 194 and when he got out, all my cousins shouted and that noise woke me up. From that day, I was a Pakistan fan (I still didn't know they had legendary fast bowlers, or even what made them so great for that matter). I also recall Vaas cleaning up Ganguly first ball, but didn't know why everyone was screaming.

Finally the day came to watch the Tigers I had heard so much about. My entire family gathering around the TV to watch the Bangladesh-Pakistan clash at the Asia Cup a couple months later. By that time I had developed a moderate but transient passion for the game and had even played taped tennis a few times to appreciate the various skills required to play. I had heard of the Waugh brothers, of Wasim and Waqar, some dude named Warne, a bloke named Donald, and a bunch of guys called Sachin, Ganguly, Inzy, Vaas, Ranatunga, Dravid, and Jayasuriya.

How many games would we win at the Asia Cup, I wondered. My cousins all burst out laughing. "Win? You don't think about Bangladesh winning games," they all replied matter of factly. I was confused. Didn't we just win some tournament? Weren't we going to be in the World Cup? So then how could we be no hopers? Clearly, the nuances between Associate sides and Test teams wasn't adequately explained to me.

Pakistan smashed our bowlers and piled up 320 in their 50 overs, the largest total I had yet seen or heard of. Bangladesh came out to bat and was not doing well at all. But then Athar Ali Khan and Akram Khan put on 100 run partnership. Bangladesh scored 210, the first time they had ever crossed 200 in ODIs. Athar scored a Bangladeshi record 82. A far cry from Anwar's 194, but for about an hour the two Khans batted like kings.

Bangladesh would go on to get thrashed in all 3 games. I came back to the US and pretty much forgot about cricket. I did hear about us beating Pakistan at the 99 world cup and getting Test status in 2000. I assumed naturally that Bangladesh were a much improved side.

It wasn't until 2003, right before the World Cup that I started seriously following cricket. I don't know why I did all of a sudden but I did. I was shocked and disappointed to learn that Bangladesh were the laughing stock and whipping boys of cricket. But I still clung to the belief that the team had improved at least a little in the 6 years since I had last seen them play. I hoped we'd post 330 against Canada, bowl them out for 120, and win by 200+ runs, even if we lost to all the major sides.

The 2003 World Cup could not have been a harsher reality check. Opening match we were bowled out for 120 against Canada and then followed that up with being 0-3 after the first three balls to Sri Lanka. I've followed every ball bowled since that time.

In those days it seemed impossible we'd ever win an ODI, let alone a Test match. But endless optimism is what carried us Tiger fans through. "Ashraful just needs to mature a bit...then he'll be every bit as good as Tendulkar," we thought out loudly.

But having stuck through all that, makes the success that much sweeter. All fans live vicariously, and so do we.

I don't know if it will ever happen, but I think its not impossible, and one day I hope to be able to see the Tigers either win a world cup or be the #1 ranked Test side in the world, if only for a day. If I live another 50 years, I hope I can see that happen.

Truth is on the side of the oppressed; its against the oppressor. Time is on the side of the oppressed; its against the oppressor. You don't need anything else.
[Malcolm X]

According to this article, at present Bangladesh's top paid cricketers (Mushy, Tamim, Shakib, Mortaza, etc) are currently paid less than the highest paid Zimbabwean or Irish cricketers! Our highest bracket paid 37,500 USD, vs a whopping 75,000 for Ireland.

Zimbabwe's richest gets 66,000 (cab anyone verify this as I had heard BRMT was paid 100,000+).

The success of the 2016-17 season has convinced the powers that be that players should be paid at least close to the mount lesser players make in more extablished countries. Salaries and match fees will nearly double from last year's amounts.

The BCB has been suggesting that since players earn a lot from domestic competitions like the BPL and DPL, they don't warrant huge central salaries. Thankfully, thats changing. Necessary to keep players motivated and know that playing for your country will get the bills paid.

Truth is on the side of the oppressed; its against the oppressor. Time is on the side of the oppressed; its against the oppressor. You don't need anything else.
[Malcolm X]

Shakib is the new T20I captain for BD now. We now have 3 captains for each format...probably the first team to do that!

The player's salary raise has been approved with top graded players (currently, Tamim, Shakib, Mushfiq, Mortaza, Mahmudullah) set to earn close to 60,000 USD per year. Match fees plus DPL and BPL will push the total potential earnings up to 210-230,000 USD per annum. Still well behind any of other top 9 sides, but perhaps eding past Zim and Ireland.

In the Dhaka Premier League, Tamim hit his list A personal best of 157, and Nasir Hossain has been in tremendous form, finally earning a recall into the Ireland tri series squad, although he misses out on the Champions Trophy.

We have a fully fit squad for the Champions Trophy, but we are in a killer group in English conditions with the hosts, Australia, and NZ. It will be a herculean task to compete in that group. If we swapped places with South Africa, we'd have been favorites to make the semis!

Mustafiz has been out of form, but under Mashrafe' captaincy we have sometimes even gone in with 4 quicks so not all of them have to bowl their full quota. Still, as our best quick, the Fizz needs to hit his groove like the match winning spell he bowled in the 2nd innings of the Colombo Test.

Truth is on the side of the oppressed; its against the oppressor. Time is on the side of the oppressed; its against the oppressor. You don't need anything else.
[Malcolm X]

Bangladesh have been training in Sussex for the Ireland tri series and Champions Trophy.

Nasir Hossain is left out lf the CT squad, but on the back of his average of 226 at this season's DPL, he has been recalled for the tri series.

With the ODI rankings updated, Bangladesh slips 1 point, but has still narrowed the gap with 6th ranked Sri Lanka. We are two points behind them and 4 games vs Ireland and a second string NZ side could see us enter the top 6 for the first time.

Truth is on the side of the oppressed; its against the oppressor. Time is on the side of the oppressed; its against the oppressor. You don't need anything else.
[Malcolm X]

Here's a name Zim fans may remember...Raqibul Hasan has broken Tamim's existing List A record score of 157. Raqib smashed 190 today during the DPL. The ground is however known for very small boundaries and Raqib hit 10 sixes in total.

Truth is on the side of the oppressed; its against the oppressor. Time is on the side of the oppressed; its against the oppressor. You don't need anything else.
[Malcolm X]

Good prep at the tri series...would have been nice to have had a chance at the silverware, but a comprehensive-in-the-end win vs NZ's A team will boost us up for the CT. if Miraz doesnt play as an all rounder at 8, we will surely play 4 quicks and be thin in the batting dept where we already lack the power hitting ability.

i think the pitches will be a non issue just like the 2015 WC...just hope for a safe tournament and one where Bangladesh plays up to their potential.

Truth is on the side of the oppressed; its against the oppressor. Time is on the side of the oppressed; its against the oppressor. You don't need anything else.
[Malcolm X]